Banff 18yo 1980/1998

Banff 18yo 1980/1998

Chieftain’s Choice, Ian Macleod
Single malt - Speyside
Light copper
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, barley sugar, malted grains, leather, celery salt, photocopy paper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, slightly oily, mouth coating.
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Apple juice, soot, barley sugar, malted grains, leather, lemon zest, white pepper, gooseberries. 
Finish: Medium. Tar, soot, photocopy paper, apple juice, wet stones. 

Comments: 

Appley and very feinty, with a big heap of old bottle effect. It layers up to a surprisingly smoky, tarry finish. Still complex and distinct after all these years. There can’t be much Banff left in the world.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Convalmore 30yo 1975/2006

Convalmore 30yo 1975/2006

Dun Bheagan, Ian Macleod Distillers
Single malt - Speyside
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, gooseberries, peaches, cream, photocopy paper, papayas, hints of celery salt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Leather, celery salt, papayas, black tea, malted grains, white grapes, peaches, hints of honey. 
Finish: Long. Papayas, peaches, white grapes, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Cask 3758. Again, lots of tropical fruit, but not the little smoky note that the sister cask (previous dram) had. It’s also a little more funky, more papaya than mango. Equally enjoyable as its sibling. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Convalmore 28yo 1975/2004

Convalmore 28yo 1975/2004

Dun Bheagan, Ian Macleod Distillers
Single malt - Speyside
Yellow gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, mangoes, vanilla ice cream, leather, white grapes, peaches, molasses, hints of rhubarb and custard sweets. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Mangoes, white grapes, leather, celery salt, malted grains, hints of rhubarb and custard sweets, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Long. Cream, malted grains, leather, white grapes. 

Comments: 

Cask 3757. Lots of sweet tropical fruit, allied to a little old bottle effect. There’s a tiny hint of smoke on the tongue, and maybe even on the finish. Excellent old Convalmore, although there aren’t many young ones knocking about anymore.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Isle of Skye 18yo (bottled 1980s)

Isle of Skye 18yo (bottled 1980s)

Ian Macleod Distillers
Blended malt - Islands
Bronze
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, desiccated coconut, lemon juice, cucumbers, peat, autumn leaves, hints of malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Desiccated coconut, white chocolate, autumn leaves, peaches, peat, lemon juice, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Long. Lemon juice, peaches, white chocolate, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Great blend, contains a lot of ‘60s Talisker. Less complicated than I thought it would be, also a lot less smoky. It’s still quite earthy and peaty though, and delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Rosebank 13yo 1991/2005

Rosebank 13yo 1991/2005

Dun Bheagan, Ian Macleod Distillers
Single malt - Lowlands
Bright gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coal smoke, leather, lemon zest, pomeloes, charcoal ash, hints of jasmine. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Charcoal ash, leather, coal smoke, lemon zest, starfruit, hints of vanilla custard, hints of orange peel. 
Finish: Long. Vanilla, starfruit, orange peel, lemon zest, coal smoke. 

Comments: 

Very rare treat this - not only is it a Rosebank, it’s a peated, smoky Rosebank. Lots of fruit underneath that bitter coal smoke, alongside notes of leather and vanilla custard. The usual Rosebank rhubarb and custard has disappeared. Unusual and quite an experience.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Braeval 19yo 1998/2018

Braeval 19yo 1998/2018

Dun Bheagan, Ian Macleod Distillers
Single malt - Speyside
Amber rose
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, cocoa powder, vanilla sponge, red grapes, hints of cloves, hints of roast pork. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cocoa powder, red grapes, cloves, fresh baked bread, candied oranges.
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, candied oranges, ginseng, raisins, hints of aluminium foil. 

Comments: 

Cask 93961, port cask Braeval. Sweet and meaty, with more than a hint of fruity Christmassy chocolate. Excellent winter dram, almost like mulled wine. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Brora 20yo 1982/2003

Brora 20yo 1982/2003

Chieftains, Ian MacLeod Distillers
Single malt - North Highlands
Golden
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Papaya, wet dog, raisins, salt caramel, autumn leaves after rain, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, sticky, mouth coating, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Papaya, smoke, sea salt, apples, vanilla, fresh baked bread, hints of leather. 
Finish: Medium. Smoke, lemon zest, honey, leather, hints of fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

Cask 1195. It's nice to have a Brora, although it gets harder to find and more expensive to buy with each passing year. This one is unusual, heaps of tropical fruit (not like Brora), some earthy funk on the nose (more like Brora) and some farmyardy wet dog (hmm, not sure) on the nose. On the tongue, this shifts to sweet salty smoky goodness - lots of fruit, cereal and leather. Good stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Sheep Dip Vatted Whisky

Sheep Dip Vatted Whisky

Official bottling
Vatted malt
Dark gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, grated coconut, yoghurt, malted grains, mint, hints of marzipan. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, slightly astringent, slightly sticky. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Lemon juice, malted grains, ginseng, yoghurt, hints of sarsaparilla. 
Finish: Medium. Mint, lemon juice, orange peel, hints of ginseng. 

Comments: 

This is not as fragrant and gentle as its sibling. Instead, it's earthy, slightly bitter, with lots of creamy and sour notes. Not unpleasant, but I think I prefer the Pig's Nose.

Verdict:

I like this.

Pig's Nose Blended Whisky

Pig's Nose Blended Whisky

Official bottling
Blended malt
Dark gold
40% ABV
Mini

Nose: Raisins, orange juice, cola nut, sarsaparilla, peaches, hints of vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly oily, mouth coating, slightly slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Peat, leather, orange juice, malted grains, hints of peanuts, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Short. Peanuts, leather, malted grains, raisins. 

Comments: 

A gentle, fragrant dram, this whisky has a mouth feel that I really like. It's oily and slippery, smooth and silky, and utterly pleasurable to roll around in my mouth. It tastes pretty good too!

Verdict:

I like this.

Dallas Dhu 26 yo 1979/2006

Dallas Dhu 26 yo 1979/2006 Chieftain's Choice

Chieftain's Choice, Ian Macleod
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
48.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Ginger, white chocolate, soy sauce, strawberries, vanilla, tobacco leaf.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, oily.
Tasting: Sweet. Cigars, tobacco leaf, ginger, raisins, coriander, orange peel, apples, pears.
Finish: Long. Smoke, molasses, soy sauce, apples.

Comments:

Cask #90721, 348 bottles. The rum finish lends ginger and chocolate to the whisky. It also tastes vaguely of tobacco, quite Cuban. Very tasty indeed, but it took me a while to get into this. I decided against buying the remaining half bottle, as I think I prefer the unfinished Dallas Dhus.

Verdict:

I like this.

Springbank 31 yo 1974/2005 Cask Strength

Springbank 31 yo 1974/2005 Cask Strength

Chieftain's Choice, Ian MacLeod
Single malt - Campbeltown
Light gold
57.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, tyre rubber, raisins, white chocolate, oranges, fried eggs.
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, warm, tingly.
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Butterscotch, sheep's wool, raisins, peanuts, peat, heather honey, tyre rubber, brown paper. Water brings out lots of molasses, less butterscotch.
Finish: Long. Peat, honey, molasses.

Comments:

Wow. Very complex and interesting. Not like anything I've ever had before - clearly Springbank is a distillery that creates excellent whisky. Sweet and smoky, even chemical, but in a pleasantly tasty way.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.